Casket, casket precursor, and method of making same

Abstract

A casket is made by covering one side of a flat precursor blank of corrugated fiberboard with a liquid-impervious flexible liner and the other side with a pliable decorative cloth, shipping the thus-covered blank to a point of use, and then folding it up into a complete lined and covered casket. Appropriate foldable flaps are provided at the ends of the precursor, and framing strips are secured along the sides of the blank for support prior to folding-up of the casket precursor to form the casket. The end flaps are held in their folded-up positions by manually insertable fasteners, and the hinges for the lid of the casket are secured by hand-stapling to the tops of the framing members. The triangular folds formed in the liner at its corners when it is fold up are tucked between the end flaps as they are being folded. The entire casket body can be shipped as a flat blank, and easily assembled manually at a remote location by unskilled persons.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A casket body precursor, comprising: a flat blank of corrugated fiberboard having score lines permitting side portions thereof to be folded up to form a trough, and having end portions provided with score lines and cut lines permitting said end portions to be folded-up to form two opposite end walls; and a continuous, flexible and foldable cloth-like decorative covering completely covering to one face of said blank, whereby said blank can be folded up into a casket body, complete with decorative covering.   
     
     
       2. The casket body precursor of claim 1, comprising a pliable liquid-impervious liner substantially completely covering and secured to a face of said blank which is opposite said one face, whereby when said blank is folded to form said casket body, said body is completely lined with said liner. 
     
     
       3. The casket body precursor of claim 2, wherein corner portions of said liner are free of said blank, whereby upon subsequent folding up of the blank, triangular flaps of said liner are formed at each corner, for tucking within said end walls when said blank is folded up. 
     
     
       4. The casket body precursor of claim 1, comprising rigid framing members extending along, and secured to opposite side edges of said side portions of said blank. 
     
     
       5. The casket body precursor of claim 4, wherein said decorative covering extends over the exposed sides and tops of said framing members and covers all normally viewed edges of said casket body precursor. 
     
     
       6. The method of providing a casket body precursor, comprising: forming a flat generally rectangular blank of corrugated fiberboard, cut and scored to permit folding the blank up to form a casket body having side and end portions, and securing to one face of said flat blank, prior to folding it up, a pliable decorative covering extending over said side and end portions of said blank.   
     
     
       7. The method of claim 6, comprising securing a liquid-impervious pliable liner to a face of said blank opposite from said one face and extending over said side and end portions of said blank which form the interior of said casket body when said blank is folded up. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim 6, comprising: prior to said folding up, securing strips of rigid material along the edges of said blank which are at the top of the sides of said casket body when said blank is folded up. 
     
     
       9. A casket precursor which can be folded up to form a casket, comprising: (a) a flat blank of corrugated fiberboard having a first set of score lines along which side portions of said blank can be folded up as side flaps to form a casket trough, and having additional score lines and cuts at each end to form at each end a bottom end flap and a pair of side end flaps, all foldable to provide end closures for said trough;   (b) rigid framing members secured along the side edges of said blank; and   (c) a continuous, flexible and foldable cloth-like decorative covering adhered to and extending completely over a face of said blank which forms the exterior of said casket when folded up.   
     
     
       10. The casket precursor of claim 9, in which each of said bottom end flaps is of a height and width to cover substantially completely the entire adjacent end of said trough when folded up, and Side end flaps of each of said pairs are of widths such that when folded toward each other they substantially cover the adjacent end of said trough. 
     
     
       11. The casket precursor of claim 10, wherein the width of each of said side end flaps is substantially equal to one-half the width of the adjacent end of said trough. 
     
     
       12. The precursor of claim 9, wherein said framing strips are secured to a face of said blank which when folded up becomes the inside of the casket. 
     
     
       13. The casket precursor of claim 12, wherein said covering extends over both sides and the top of said framing strips. 
     
     
       14. The casket precursor of claim 9, wherein said covering is a non-woven synthetic material or a paper material. 
     
     
       15. The method of providing a casket at a user site, comprising: forming a flat rectangular blank of corrugated fiberboard with framing strips of rigid material secured along side edges of said blank, and a continuous, flexible and foldable cloth-like decorative covering secured to one face of said blank, said blank having a pair of longitudinal score lines permitting side portions of said covered blank to be folded upward to form a casket trough with said decorative covering on the exterior thereof and said blank having score lines and cuts at its ends to provide a pair of bottom flaps each foldable upwardly to close the adjacent ends of said trough, and to provide a pair of side end flaps at each end of said trough foldable toward each other to cover said folded bottom flaps;   transporting said flat blank with said covering thereon to an assembly site; and   at said assembly site, folding up said side portions of said blank with said covering thereon to form a casket trough, folding up said bottom end flaps to close said end openings, folding inwardly toward each other said side end flaps with said covering thereon to form a closed casket with covering, and thereafter manually applying fasteners to said side end flaps and said bottom flaps to hold said flaps in their folded positions.   
     
     
       16. The method of claim 15, comprising securing a rectangular liquid-impervious sheet of liner material to a face of said blank opposite from said decorative covering, prior to said transporting step. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim 16, wherein said securing of said sheet of liner material comprises leaving a portion of said sheet near each of its corners free of said blank and, after said transporting step and during said folding of said bottom end flaps and said side end flaps, tucking said free portions of said liner material between said bottom end flaps and said side end flaps.